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Hamas released the first three hostages on Sunday – Romi Gonen, Emily Damari, and Doron Steinbrecher – following a tense period when the ceasefire agreement nearly collapsed due to Hamas’s delay in providing the hostage list.
These women represent the initial group of 33 captives scheduled for release during the next six weeks, as part of a broader 42-day arrangement. Under this deal, Israel will free more than 1,900 Palestinian prisoners, including some convicted of attacks against Israeli civilians.
While their current status remains unconfirmed, authorities believe the three women are alive, as the agreement prioritizes releasing living hostages. Their ordeal has lasted 471 days since the October 7, 2023, terrorist attack.
🚨🇵🇸🇮🇱 HOSTAGE EXCHANGE UNDERWAY
Footage shows Hamas releasing 3 Israeli hostages to the Red Cross.
The IDF confirmed the handover, reporting the hostages are in good condition and en route to Israel.
In exchange, Israel will release 90 Palestinian prisoners.
The list… https://t.co/Wjxx5UGzia pic.twitter.com/BQK6blFBqp
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) January 19, 2025
The circumstances of their capture were violent and traumatic. Gonen, 24, was shot in the arm while attempting to flee the Nova music festival by car, with her mother listening helplessly on the phone. Damari, 28, who holds both British and Israeli citizenship, sustained gunshot wounds and shrapnel injuries before being taken from her residence in Kibbutz Kfar Aza. Steinbrecher, 31, was also captured from the same kibbutz.
The specifics of their release, including timing and their physical condition, remain undisclosed.
Families of released hostages watch as they join IDF soldiers https://t.co/vKBjZzU8FN pic.twitter.com/uWQCMCc327
— New York Post (@nypost) January 19, 2025
IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi commented after the delayed ceasefire implementation, which began at 11:15 a.m. local time: “[W]e would not have reached an agreement under these terms if Hamas had not been in such a dificult situation … Right now, this is our position of strength.”
Following the completion of this initial six-week phase, 65 hostages will remain in Gaza. While their condition is uncertain, some are believed to have survived their captivity.
In a separate development, the IDF recovered the remains of Staff Sgt. Oron Shaul on Saturday. Shaul had fallen in combat in Gaza during Operation Protective Edge, a conflict initiated by Hamas in 2014 that concluded with an unstable ceasefire.
